Agitator



Jan.19,1932. SHGBSON 1,841,435

AGITATOR Filed Aug. 22, 1929 Patented Jan. 19, 1932` l l 1,841,435L

' 11ml COMPANY, or "CLEVELAND, oiiIo,--'n"conronATIoNforv-oHIo i mmm j Application md August l22.19292Serial 1101387504:.. .j y the goed material mths boezem of the 0ntainer, while the otherjpaddles V'are adj ustahly'y positioned longitudinallyl ofY said shaft to This invention relates to agitating or mixing devices for use in mixing'thev contents of a container, Sand more particularly, to an improved form of agitator of the'ty'pe to be inserted and operated through a restricted container opening.

An object of this inventi an agitator having a plurality. of paddles adapted to be swung from' positions along-V side the operating shaft to positions'substantially at right angles lto said shaft, 1n which one or more of said paddles canbeselectively positioned'longitudinally of said shaft,` and in which means ispr'ovided for locking one'or more'of said paddles in said 'right anglefpositions. f

The invention may be furtherbrieiiy,sum-v marized as consisting of certain novel combi'- nations and arrangements of partshereinafter described andsetfout in theapp'ended claims. y A In the sheet of drawings forming a part of this application. f 1

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the agitator of my inventionl installed' in operative position in a container; y

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewillus tratingV the operation of installing my agitator in a container; y 1 p Fig. 3 is a fragmentary `side elevation showing the paddle locking device; 1

Fig. 4 is a-section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the locking recess ofthe paddle moved out ofengagement with the locking-extension; and

latch member. Y Y u l The agitating device of my invention is of the type to be inserted and operated through a relatively restricted container opening, and

is accordingly provided with. a plurality 0f a part of my agitating device, are so arranged that the one which is permanently secured at the lower end of the operating shaft stirs up on is toV provide,

, Fig. 6 is a detached detail View of thespring levels within the container.y t n i s In! thed'rawings illustratingkv a preferred fornifof my iagitating device, I show 1a" conl -SAMUEL H. GiBsoiL-or :.Axnwoon, OHIO, AssiGNon-'ro THE risinisrnniu.siw'iziicfruit;vv

tainer 10 which maybe ofany desired size 0r Q shape. This container, "pas lis usual, isprovided with a threaded openingll'l centrally of the top wall, throughl whichthe agita'ting` deviceinay be inserted ,-'aiidy operated.,v j'Ihe agitating deyice includesl "an operating shaft 12, which 'in'l this instance, is shown as being Y square inpross'sectionf j At the kinner end of this shaft,-Iprovidea'socket member 13y which is securedto the operating shaft vby means of the pin 14. A propeller-like,paddlell Iis pivotally secured tothe socketmember"with 'i theV pivot pin 15v arranged topasslthrough thelcenterof'the paddle, sothat the paddle is supported uponfthis pin in a balanced condition, Vor'in'other words, in la `statefof stable i equilibrium; Q i s, n m

VJ ith the agitating dev'ic'ein operative posi-.

tion, as shown' in Fig. 1',this paddle 15 issuspended ,close to the bottom wallv of vthe con'-y tainer rsothat upon being rotated' by the aetu- 1 ating shaft, the contents of the container, and

especially the material which settlesto the bottom, will .he eifectivelyjmixed and stirred.

Atvariouslevels yabove' the paddle '15, other i mixing paddles lmay'be secured to the shaft.

Any suitable'nuinber of suchpaddles maybe r 'employed but, in this instance,v I'have'shown two such additional paddles. "I hese additional paddles' are similarv in shape to paddle 15 but are secured to the loperating shaftin' a somewhat different manner.` For securing 0 f sleeve 17 `which caribe clamped to' th'eoper-N atinglshaft atthe desired elevation byA means each of these paddles to the shaft, I provideV a' of aset screw 18.' The Vsleeve 17 Vis provided with a square locking. extension 19 which ex? tends through anuoblong'roiinded opening 2Q, formed through the4 centrali part of the paddle 16.-V The openingQO is so proportioned with respect to the' extension' 19 that the paddle can be swung upnl this extension as n, a'pivot when the paddle is 'moved Afrom a posion 19, and to receive this extension after the paddle has been rotated from the position alongside the Yoperating shaft to the position at right angles to said shaft. For holding the Y loc-king recess of the paddle in engagement f with the locking projection of the sleeve, I

provide a spring latch member 22. This latch member has'a square central opening, through which the locking extension extends when the latch member is assembled in position between the paddle and the sleeve, as shown in Figs. l and 5. In addition to clamping the sleeve 17 to the shaft, thev set screw 18 also retains the paddle on the projection 19. The latch member is preferably formed of resilient material, and is bent to provide a shoulder 23, which engages one edge of the paddle when the locking recess is in engagement with the locking projection. When itis desired to release the locking recess from engagement with the locking extension to permit rotation of the paddle, the spring latch Vmember is deflected laterally toward the shaft, Vwhich permits the edge of the paddle to move past the shoulder 23, as shown in Fig. i of the drawings.

For supporting and' maintaining the shaft and paddles in position with respect to the axis of the container, I provide an elongated bushing or sleeve 24 which serves as a bear# ingfor the operating shaft. This sleeve is made of asuitable length andf'is provided with a threaded part 25 at its upper end which can be screwed into the threaded opening 11. The sleeve is Aalso provided with a recess 26 at its upper end into which onev end of the operating shaft extends. The bottom of this recess forms a shoulder 27 upon which the shaft and paddles are suspended by means of the washer 28 and the pin 29. An operating handle 30 is provided for turning the shaft and the paddles. This handle is constructed with a socket extension 31 which extends into the recess and tsover the upper end of the operating shaft.

In installing the agitating device of my invention in a container, the paddle 15 is swung to a position alongside of the operat- 1 ing shaft, after which the sleeves 17, carryingthe additional paddles 16, are slipped onto the operating shaft in succession, and by means of set screws 18 are clamped to the shaft in the desired positions. The paddles 16 are swung about the locking'extensions to positions alongside of the shaft, and with the paddles in this position, the device is inserted through the container opening. The

rotated, in succession, about the locking extensions' 19, by causing one lendof these paddles tonengage the under sideof the top wall yof the container, as illustrated in dotted line in Fig. 2. Immediately after each paddle has rotated to a positionat; right angles to the shaft, its engagement with the top wall vof the contain er causes the paddle to vbe moved n bodily downwardly, bringing the locking re- Cess into locking engagement with the projection. Upon lateral movement .of the paddle Yto bring vthe recess into engagement' with the projection', the spring latch member 22 snaps into the position illustrated in Fig. 5,' with the shoulder 23 in engagement with the upper edge of the central part of the paddle. The sleeve 24; and the washer 28 are now slipped onto the shaft and the .pin 29 is ldriven through the shaft. vThe lassembled 'agitator vis Athenlowered into the container and the sleeve is screwed into opening 11, thereby suspending the paddles inl proper position. In removing the agitating device from` the container', the sleeve 24: is first unscrewed from the opening 11, after which the shaft is lifted andthe paddles 16 and 15 are rotated in ,successionto occupy positions lalongside of the shaft'tov permit their passage through the container opening'.V

will now be readilyfseen thatY with the form of Vagitator which Ihavev provided, a deposit ofmaterial at the bottom-of the container willbe kneaded and stirred bythe .paddlel `15, whilethe contents in general, will be thoroughly mixed andstirred by the adf ditional paddles .16.' It will also be seen that the sleeve 24 serves as a bearing for maintaining the shaft and-'paddles in proper position regardless of 'the'position in which the container itself may be. Y i

Vhile I have shown and described the deviceof my invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood, however, that'I do not desire tolimit` myself to the precise details shown and described but, regard my invenv tion as including suoli changes and modifications as dok not involve a departure from the .spirit of the invention .and the scope of the appended claims. Y y Having thus described I claim is:

1. In an agitator of the type tobeinserted my invention, what through a container opening, the combination of a shaft, Aa Vplurality of paddles pivotally carried on said shaft and adapted to be swung froma position alongside said shaft to a position ysubstantially at right angles to said shaft, one of said paddlesbeing adjustable longitudinally of said shaft, and means for iss maintaining said shaft in position withrespect to the axis of said container.

2. In an agitator of the type to be inserted through a container opening, the combination of ashaft, a paddle, and a member on said l shaft having a projection extending through an opening in said paddle whereby saidpaddle maybe swung from a position Valongside said shaft to a position substantially at right angles to said'shaft, said projection being shaped for locking engagement with a correspondingly shaped recessv adjacent said opening to retain Vsaid paddle in said second mentioned position. Y p. 3. In an agitator of the type to be inserted through a container opening, the combination of a shaft, a paddle, a member on said shaft y having a projection extending through 'an kopening in said paddle whereby said paddle may be swung from a position alongside said shaft to a position substantially at right angles to said sha-ft, said projection being shaped for locking engagement with 4a correspondingly shaped recess adjacent said opening to retain said paddle in said second` mentioned position,rand means for holding said paddle with said recess in locking engagement with said projection. Y 4. In an agitator of the type to be inserted through a container opening, the combination of a shaft, a paddle, a member on said shaft having a projection extending through Y an opening in said paddle whereby said paddle may be'swung from a position alongside said shaft to a position substantially at right angles to said. shaft, said projection being shaped for locking-engagement with a correspondingly shaped recess adj acentv said n opening to retain said paddle in said second 4o mentioned position, and-a, spring latch for holding said paddle with said recess in locking engagement with saidk projection.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiix myV signature.

SAMUEL H'. GIBSON. 

